News

From the May/June 2023 newsletter I write this while still in the throes of late April with its wild weather of snow, ice, wind, flooding, pleasant warm days, drying out, flooding, rain … It always amazes me that no matter what the weather is doing, the migration is on for our bird families and the hibernators are waking up despite the white landscape. The summer is short, and they know there is no time to wait! The running waters of creeks and rivers are making their break with the ice and snow that has silenced them all winter.

Kitty Mayo, editor An opinion piece printed in the May 8 edition of the Minneapolis Star Tribune had the signatures of every single hospital system in the state. Notably, in recent weeks Mayo Clinic, the venerated and historically impactful health research and treatment facility has announced it will consider moving its growth out of the state.

Dolly Wood is 80 years old and facing a knee replacement–a surgery she says might have been avoided if she had been exercising three times a week in a local pool as she has done in the past. Both the Country Inn and Suites in Two Harbors, and the Americinns in Two Harbors and Silver Bay used to offer locals the opportunity to swim or exercise in their pools for a fee. Only the Americinn in Silver Bay has re-instated the open door policy since the pandemic. TheAmericinninSilver Bay, according to manager Michael Giuliano, welcomes local participation at its pool. It’s an opportunity, he says, to give back to the community in a relationship which is strengthened by the mostly- local ownership of the franchise. Americinn’s Halloween Party and “Mall of Americinn” are other local-friendly events hosted there. “There’s not a lot to do around here, so this helps with that too,” Giuliano commented, as well as mentioning the relief from suffering that those with back and joint pain can get from swimming.

The Lake County board of commissioners approved a resolution to amend their short-term rental (STR) ordinance to reflect a 3% capacity limit this Tuesday. A year-long moratorium on new STRs in greater-Lake County (outside of city limits Two Harbors, Beaver Bay, Silver Bay) is set to expire on May 28, 2023. During the course of the last year the board gathered and discussed data about STRs while considering any impact they have on long term housing. After a public hearing on April 27 at the county Planning commission meeting, the commission voted to recommend a 4% cap to the board. At that time the commission also recommended that further consideration be made regarding several issues raised by the public, including; density/spacing, transfer/ownership changes, exempt commercial zoning districts, and a process to adjust cap limits as new housing units are added throughout the county. At the May 9th meeting the board added to that list; the distance between residential housing and rentals, special event restrictions, and the North Shore Management zone.